Torrance Helicopter Routes – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Richard Root

The following letter to the editor was published in the El Segundo Herald newspaper (HeraldPublications.com) on Thursday, December 1, 2011 in the Letters section on page 2.

Torrance Helicopter Routes

The Torrance Airport Association is publishing false and misleading statements regarding the helicopter route changes being considered for Torrance Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration is in the process of evaluating the proposed changes at the request of the City of Torrance in an effort to reduce noise without compromising safety. On its public web site, the Association states that the City of Rolling Hills Estates has gone on record opposing the proposed changes because they would increase helicopter noise.

The truth is just the opposite. The proposed routes would not increase noise and Rolling Hills Estates has not opposed them. No city has opposed them. By asking pilots to fly higher, the proposed routes would result in an overall reduction of noise on the ground instead of shifting it from one neighborhood to another. The Association’s statements are patently untrue and do a disservice to the public.

Richard Root